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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

im going to confront my dad tomorrow am, about issues in my childhood, any tips or advice would be gratefully recieved

148 replies

lionbeast · 10/04/2008 21:23

hi everyone, this is a copy of my post on the toxic thread.

mybackground
well i am one of three, have two older brothers, mum has always prefered the middle one,im the youngest, she really battered my self esteem, she used to tell me she hated me and that i was clean on the outside and dirty on the inside,

sometimes she wouldnt speak to me for days and she'd say you'll need me before i need you [yes i was a child ffs] and when she used to be a bitch to me she used to say yeah you know what you can do if you don't like it.

she has hit me a few times althought there was about 5 times when i was a teenager,for example the last time she hit me i was 18, and we where both in the kitchen and i was probably irritating her, the freezer had a dodgy drawer whick kept falling out, and the drawer fell out when i was getting something out, so she whacked me one in the face, i pushed her off me, she called my dad who pushed me up against the kitchen wall, she then later tried to make out that i nearly broke her finger!

i never once hit her back ive only ever pushed her off me when she was hitting me in the face, and then i get accused of almost breaking her finger.

you know i wish i could of gone back in time and i wouldnt of hit her back, i would of called the police.

i moved out when i was 16, i moved in with a boyfriend for five weeks, i never loved him, it was just a chance to escape, five weeks later i was back home as he had finished with me.

she said it was because the house was flithy [we where only there 5 weeks,and both worked fulltime id been working a month and left home straight away ]and id never keep a man,

when i told mum a few years later that i never loved him i just moved in with him to get away from home, she said i dont believe you as you wouldnt of gone away to paris with him[yes we had a mini trip to paris, so that means i really loved him ]

anyway as the years when by i meet my now dh and moved out aged about 22, she was ok with me really when i left home, like she could tolerate me in small doses, then when i became PG i felt vunerable around her again.

this was when she decided it was a good time to tell me my dad never had any time for me or interest in me.
when i said i didnt believe it was true or that even if it was true, then he never made me feel that way.
she said it must of been because she did a good job of hiding it from me
this is what im going to ask dad about tomorrow

i dint feel upto asking dad about it at that point as i was feeling rough and had bleeding and cramping and thought i was going to have a mc when mum said all this to me, so i didnt feel upto or strong enough the confrontation then but i do now.
this is what im going to ask dad about tomorrow

yes dad never stopped it ,but im not sure that was true, although i have decided im going to confront dad about it, otherwise its always going to make me wonder even after hes dead. and i want to give him the chance to tell me straight.
although it could cause ww3 it has to be done for my sake and dads.

also when i was PG we only told my mum and dad and pil, asked them not to tell anyone,mum had already slatted my other sil for telling everyone that she was PG before 12 weeks,so with my news mum decideds to tell fav sil, and then doesnt tell me shes told her, then when i was on the phone talking to mum about a sugar test she turns round to fav sil who was there at the time oh you never had that did you? so of course im shocked and say so sil knows then does she? then mum turns on me and has a go at me say i think youll find if you told her she would be very understanding in a really pissed off way, and she still hasnt said soryy about that, no im the one in the wrong again

she worked fulltime when i started junior school and never had anytime for me, i got really behind at school yet her and dad had no idea, its not her fault for having to work, it must of been quite hard, but she still could of made time to see how i was getting on at school.

it didnt help that she did stuff like once when i was going to a friends party after school, i said id pop round the neighbours and tell her not to pick me up,as it was the neighbour that used to pick me up from school, mum said no ill tell her, i said oh ive got time ill go round now, no, mum shouts , so anyway guess what mum forgets to tell the neighbour not to collect me so all panic sets out at the school when the neighbout comes to collect me andf im not there, so i end up the next day getting a massive bollocking from the teacher, who said it was my fault.

about three days after i had dd, i had 4 th degree tears, she was nagging me to have a salt bath, i checked with the midwife who said salt bath where not really reccommended these days as there are a bit harsh, when i very carefully told her why i was not having salt baths she got really pissed off and snapped well perhaps women where a bit tougher in my day.[give birth to dd without any pain relief, but yet im a wimp of course]

i tried to avoid the whole subject by saying hmm yes maybe, ok ill think about that etc, but she wouldnt leave it alone until she started asking directly have you had one yet? and i didnt feel comfortable lying.

also when i had to go to my follow up with the gp i was a bit upset as he said i may suffer incontinence in the future as a result of the 4th degree tear, and she said i need to get things into persective in a really nasty stop going on a bout it type way.
and when i had a flashback and thought i was in labout about 4 nights after having dd, the mw was really kind and came and spent about 2-3 hours with me talking though what happened, and said it was normal to get flashbacks after such a traumatic event, it really helped talking it though, and when i said to mum it really helped talking it though she said, i think people talk about things far too much these days. and that you can talk about things too much.
when my cousin was asking me about the birth, and said i was so unlucky with what happened[abouth the 4th degree], mum pipes up well thats just what happened to me with fav son, [no it wasnt it wasnt even a 3rd degree as she did not have to have a repair operation] i just meekly replied well i dont think it was quite the same thing.

when i was struggling to bf, she keep saying that maybe dd wasnt getting enough milk and as dd was a frequent feeder that she should be more content by now one time she actually took her off me and said she doesny want another feed [dd was crying] and said she wants a nap and put her in her pram and started rocking her, dd started crying even more, so i picked her up and fed her. dd was only a few weeks old, what sort of person takes someones NB off them telling them what they want?and she keep telling me the bf is ok if its done discreatly and is not flaunted in public, when as dd was such a frequent feeder i had to feed her in public otherwise i wouldnt of been able to leave the house for 6 months.she say comments like my sil always fed at home as "shes not like that" in other words i was a slut to bf my baby, she does have a lot of issues about bf, and she was really trying to stop me from doing it with she didnt achieve.

anyway i used to have no confidence around my family,but i have changed quite alot since having dd, i was always having others opinions rammed down my throats and mine never getting listened to or even bothering to voice my opinions before[only within my family] never at work or with friends or dh[lucky for me i have a great dh thank goodness and didnt go for someone that was also abusive and would also say nasty things to me which i think quite alot of people with my childhood perhaps would.

i used to be scared id be a crap mum because of my childhood and now i know thats not true and i would never ever say or do those thing to my lovely dd.
its like my biggest fear is gone.

the odd thing is, that mum can sometimes be really nice.

but now if someone in my family tries to tell me something i don't agree with i tell them, and funny enough they have stopped doing it so much.
and thats why ive decided to ask my dad about what she said and tell him about all of the stuff she has said and done.it could cause me never to see them again and if that happens thats ok with me i have a happy marraige and a lovely baby, and its is there loss. or dad could be shocked and horrified i really do not know.i know mum will denigh and twist everything.she has never admitted anything or apolagised for anything in her life.i think she thinks apoalgising is a sign of weakness or something.
but im 30 now and im not having it anymore.

so anyway i decided im going to ask dad if what mum had said about him not having any interst or time or me was true,
i have to ask otherwise it will haunt me for ever and i need to lay this ghost to rest.
i dont thinnk its fair on him or me if i dont ask otherwise i will still be wondering long after hes dead.

i hardly ever get anytime alone with dad, but hes giving me and dd a lift somewheretomorrow and i want to ask him before dd is too old to start to understand and i will probably not get the chance to talk to him alone for a v v long time.
so it now or never
i really hope i dont wimp out.

so got any ideas how i should bring it up with dad??,
i was thinking about saying something like, i need to talk to you about something, its not going to be nice for either of us, but i need to know if something is true or not, notherwise ill will always wonder even after your dead, then proceed to ask him about the comments mum made about him....do you think i should write some stuff down so i dont forget to mention anything?
any help at all will be great.

OP posts:
lionbeast · 11/04/2008 23:22

im glad it was more of a heart to heart than confrontation, which was also help by good advice given on here, to go softly softly not to burst in with a long list etc

so thanks for th great advice.

OP posts:
lionbeast · 11/04/2008 23:23

chip monkey thankyou

OP posts:
Trolleydolly71 · 11/04/2008 23:57

Message withdrawn

stirlingmum · 12/04/2008 10:41

Oh Lionbeast, I am so, so glad that the conversation went well.
I am glad my thoughts of being an old lady gave you the push that you needed.
Now you can look back on that conversation and feel content that it happened and the outcome was good.
I speak from experience. Different situation in that I was s.abused by step father for years. When I married we moved away from family. One day when pregnant with dc2, I got very angry about situation, jumped in the car, drove 300 miles and confronted him. Shocked the f**k out of him. Kicked him out of the family house and he hasn't been back since .
Amazing the strength you get will pg!!

Stay strong and dont let anyone put you down.

Trolleydolly71 · 12/04/2008 11:47

Message withdrawn

Alexa808 · 12/04/2008 12:34

Lionbest, (big fat pat on back) well done!! Really chuffed for you that it went so well ad you could see with your own eyes and feel with your own heart and body how natural your Dad responded to you. It's a Father's love and I'm sure he was upset at the thought of you feeling left out by him. Oh I'm very happy you asked your Dad. I could here the sigh of relief of you breathing out down to Singapore...

Good on you!! Have a lovely weekend.

morningpaper · 12/04/2008 12:52

BLUB at this thread

well done lionbeast, you are so brave and strong and clearly very fantastic

chocolatespiders · 12/04/2008 12:54

I read the longest op i have ever read on mumsnet and cried... then read the post after you spoke to dad and cried again

dont know you but so happy for you

Spidermama · 12/04/2008 13:18

Oh what a heart wrenching thread. Trying to conceal tears from my kids now.

Lionbeast you are so brave and strong. I have the utmost respoect for the way you've counselled yourself through this painful journey and managed to heal some very difficult emotional knots.

You've clearly risen to the challenge of motherhood and are doing your utmost to stop the rot and not pass on the hurt to the next generation.

You're a lesson to us all.

Also well done MNers for all the great advice and support on here. This is MN at its best.

LilyMunster · 12/04/2008 13:57

aw lionbeast, i am chuffed to bits for you.

have only just caught up with this... am so so glad it went so well and that you have found the peace you needed.

and chuffed to bits to have been any help of course too

well done you - im full of admiration for you. bravo bravo bravo.

boobum · 12/04/2008 14:41

Another one welling up here!!!

Well done for tackling how you felt and thank goodness your dad responded how you wanted him to.

As you said no one is 100% perfect but he sounds lovely and very genuine.

HidingBehindANewName · 12/04/2008 14:51

Lionbeast,

I saw this today and just had to post.

A bloody big WELL DONE to you for being able to go through with this in the first place. It cant have been easy and you had to be very brave and strong. Good for you.

I just wanted to say that I dont think this situation called for you to cut your mum out of your life. When you next see her, it isnt ging to be easy, but at least your amoured with the assurance and comfort from your meeting with your dad. It was very special and i think you should now use it as your focus when your mum is saying cruel things to you.

The thing is, you dont know what your dad will say to your mum, or indeed if he will say anything at all. If he does, im sure she will make it obvious to you. I think its highly unlikely that she will just roll over and suddenly end her bitchiness towards you. It may even spur her further to say more nasty things in an attempt to demean you further. She may even convinvce herself and try to suggest that you manipulated your dad to hear what you wanted. You know this isnt true, but she may resort to saying such things so that you dont feel that you have got one over on her or proved her to be a liar. If that happens, i think you should stay positive and tell her that you are happy with your relationship with your dad and dont need to discuss it further with her.

You see, SHE may well believe that your dad didnt have much time for you, and if thats the case then its something she needs to address with your dad and not transfer her frustration about it through you. In such situations, sometimes people with poisonous minds believe that other see the situation as they do. At worst she's trying to tell you that you dont have a ally in your dad. Again, you know that isnt true.

I was very much heartened when your dad asked if that was what YOU felt. You didnt and that's really important in all this. What you do feel is that your mum undermines and demeans you. Id say that its gone on so long now that there is no mistaking your feelings. Even if she wouldnt agree, they are your feelings and thats whats true to YOU.

I am sorry that others are saying to cut her off, but i'd say that you should accept your relationship with your mum for what it is. You know the types of things she is capable of and likely to say to you - forwarned is forarmed. Let them go over your head, if you can. Its not easy, but may be a way of putting the brakes on the emotional punches that she has been dealing out to you.

Can I ask about your relationship with your siblings? Perhaps you should be prepared for her to seek an ally in them. If she can try and come between you and your dad that way, it is possible. I may have said too much here, but you are strong, youve proved that to yourself if no-one else. Be strong and be bold. If your mum ever says something to you about how anyone else perceives you, maybe you should just stop and think how you percieve the situation to be/have been.

Im saying all this cos your story could have been me - except it ended badly for me, though i dont regret confronting my mum. Its easy to say dont try an overanalyse things, but it doesnt work like that. Something happens or gets said and then the analysis and over-analyis takes hold. Im just so glad that you havent come out of this doubting what your dad feels for you and your relationship with him. Its very real and very special and no words of a third party can come between that.

I wish you all the very best and hope that at least some of what ive said helps.

lionbeast · 13/04/2008 10:32

oh wow, thank you you so much for all your wonderful posts, i honstly cannot express how much they all mean to me
i feel so happy now.
infact i feel fantastic
i feel really strong and that i can face any chalenges ahead..
its amazing that any one would read my stroy and be in tears, what wonderful hearts you have, i feel truely honoured and touched by your kindness and support to me
i feel flattered that you would spend your time to help me though this and cheer me on the way you have

stirling mum, im truely sorry for what you went though, i wish no child would ever go through anykind of abuse. im so happy for you and pleased that you managed to find the strength to confront that bastard.
i thought it was great, the way you said you Shocked the f**k out of him, thats the thing about these abusers, they should never rest easy as they never know when all of a sudden, someone will find the strength to face them
well done you so happy for you.
its an amazing feeling, when you really find your strength.
i will take your advice of
Stay strong and dont let anyone put you down

i felt like i need to be able to stand up for myself before, in order to be able to stand up and protect for dd, if the need ever arrises, and im now 100% confident i can do that.
noone will ever get away with saying anything like that to my little lioncub.
that is for certain.

had a great day yesterday,woke up with a peace in my heart that is hard to describe, went went shopping in the day, and in the evening me and and dh went out for a meal and a few drinks.[pil who are lovely looked after dd]
dh said hes really glad, i talked it over with dad and he wants me to pass on his thanks to everyone one of you on this thread.

thank you SO much, you really have made my heart soar
love lionbeast xxxxxxx
i feel like lionheart now ! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

OP posts:
lionbeast · 13/04/2008 10:32

hiding behind a new name thankyou for your lovly post,
im sorry you have been though similar experiences. you asked me
Can I ask about your relationship with your siblings? Perhaps you should be prepared for her to seek an ally in them.

i have a good realtionship with both my brothers, i am closer to the oldest one, and recently ive been talking to his wife my sil about mum, as my sil has been the target of my mums, nastiness.
my brother even had to talk to my mum about it and tell her if it doesnt stop, it will cause a split in the family meaning his family and my mum.
my oldr brother did try to stick up for me at times when mum was a bitch when i was younger, and often he got it in the neck for doing so, and its something i will always be grateful for, we have a v v special bond.
i think ill tell his wife about what happened with dad and then she can tell him, as i know they will both support me.
they have three children and there middle child can do no right my mums eyes, she is constanly on at him and snappy with him, and i know they are getting really really pissed of the way she treats there middle son.

my other brother,[the fav one] i also get on well with, i get on well with his wife too.
but she is v close to my mum, and there son can do no wrong in my mums eyes, i think dad will talk to him as dad talks to him about everything, i think he could be more influenced by mum given the chance, as he is very easily influenced by them anyway.

my plan with mum is, to never ever spend anytime alone with her, as she wont get the chance to try and say horrible things[well really horrible] things to me then.

OP posts:
lionbeastwithalionheart · 13/04/2008 10:42

ive added a little extra to my MN nickname
lol!

lionbeastwithalionheart · 13/04/2008 10:43

its funnyhow my MN nick name changes along the way, i used to be kitten baby.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

stirlingmum · 13/04/2008 12:08

Hi Lion - It is amazing how, doing something like this, can make you feel so strong and powerful. That is good.
Some people live all there lives wishing they had said or done something about a situation. But it will always niggle at them.

So glad you feel good about it all now. Good plan with your Mum. Try to mentally cut her out and then what she says will not hurt or bother you.

Take Care x

lionbeastwithalionheart · 13/04/2008 12:16

stirling mum, thankyou so much, i will always remember this, and your kindness, you are an insiration to me.
i hope one day, i will be able to use my exerience with my mum to help someone else.
in the kind way you have used yours to help me.
love lion xxx

lionbeastwithalionheart · 13/04/2008 12:24

inspiration

stirlingmum · 13/04/2008 13:43

Thank you Lion
Very kind words
Love xxx

JeremyVile · 13/04/2008 14:00

What a thread!
I was reading the early parts willing you to follow through with asking him, and you did.
So pleased for you.

lionbeastwithalionheart · 13/04/2008 16:15

jeremyvile, thankyou i could feel MNetters willing me and chering me on. thanks

lionbeastwithalionheart · 13/04/2008 16:39

frogs thanks i also read your posts a few times too

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